Mango Anyone?
by Snoring Dragon Productions
Summary: Littlest Pet Shop has always been a place where pets can come and meet new friends... but what happens when a new arrival sparks some strong emotions? Mango is a pet who just wants to find a place where she can be accepted for who she is. Is LPS the place where she can finally belong? (Rated T for emotional love, not physical) *1,000 views picture on Deviant Art*
1. Chapter 1: A Perfect Day

Chapter 1 : A Perfect Day

It was an average day at the pet shop. Not much seemed to be happening and not much seemed to be about to happen either. Penny Ling was practicing her ribbon dancing in a far off corner, twirling and swirling like a leaf in the breeze. Zoe was trying out a new song while Pepper was trying out some of her new jokes on Russell and Minka. Without much success.

"All right, you're gonna love this one. Why did the chicken cross the road? Hehehe… TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE… of the road. HAHAHAHAHA hahahaha heehee… get it? I added 'of the road' to the joke. I changed it."

Russell and Minka looked at each other with anxious faces. They weren't sure whether to provide some _constructive_ criticism or just laugh it off. Unfortunately they took too long to decide and Pepper chose her own course of action.

"AW COME ON! IT'S FUNNY!"

Meanwhile, away from all the other pets, Sunil and Vinnie were playing around with their favorite red, bouncy ball. They were just enjoying being buddies. Laughing, tossing, and catching was all they did for some time. Everything was quite peaceful. Just a perfect day.

"Is it me or does this day seem to be perfectly _boring_?" Sunil asked while lying down on a pet bed.

All the pets were sprawled around the pet shop. Either on a pet bed or just on the floor. It seemed like a bored fever had spread throughout the pet shop and infected all of them. None of them could think of anything interesting to do, or even tried to. They all seemed content to lie there wallowing in self pity.

"I already sang my new song… twice. I don't feel like doing it again. Even though my song was fabulous! Don't you all agree?" Zoe said.

"Uh huh…" The others said in unison while not really caring.

"Although I do think I might need to make it a little longer. After all, who doesn't want to hear me sing? Longer songs are definitely better. Especially if I am the one singing them. Don't you all agree?" Zoe continued. Oblivious to the others disinterest.

"Uh huh…" The pets replied once more.

Before Zoe could open her mouth again the door to the daycare opened and Mrs. Twombly walked in carrying a yellow crate with big pink flowers painted on it. The crate seemed to be able to fit a pet around the size of Zoe. Whatever was in it was very quiet and did not shake around. Mrs. Twombly set the crate down gently before speaking.

"All right Sweeties! Be nice to Mango and make her feel welcome!"

Vinnie bolted upright, his mouth beginning to drool. "Mango? I love Mangos! They're so delicious and…" Vinnie cut off as soon as he saw the pet that stepped out of the crate.

It looked kind of like a dog. She was orange, bright orange like the sweet juicy inside of a mango. White marked her mouth, stomach, and the bottom of her bushy tail. Her pointed ears, front of her nose, front arms and back paws were a rich chocolate brown. On her neck she wore a neon green collar, studded with bright pink rhinestones, and on her big swirl of hair on top of her head she wore a neon green bow with bright pink on the inside. But what he really noticed was her eyes. Her long lashes split into two on top and her eyelids were the same rich, brown as her paws. Her eyes were a dazzling golden yellow, like Sunil's only brighter. They seemed to shine in the light.

"Vinnie? Are you feeling all right my green, scaly friend?"

Sunil's voice snapped Vinnie back into reality. "Oh, yeah I was just thinking about Mangos. Tasty, sweet, beautiful Mangos…"


	2. Chapter 2: Best Buds

Chapter 2 : Best Buds

"Hello there Mango, my name is Russell. Welcome to Littlest Pet Shop. We hope you enjoy your stay here. I have a little questionnaire to help us better your experience here in Littlest Pet Shop. I just need to ask you a few questions. Ok, do you have any health problems we should know about?"

"No, aside from the fact that I am not the most graceful pet. Hehehehe." Mango finished with a little laugh. Her voice was rich, full of life and emotion.

 _Just like me…_ Vinnie thought as he stared at the new pet. He didn't know why his stomach felt so funny.

"All right, what is your sport preference?" Russell continued with the questions.

"I don't really care for sports, but I guess Football because my owners watch it."

"Favorite color?"

"Yellow."

"Favorite food?"

"Mmmmmm, lots of delicious shrimp! But I also enjoy Mangos."

"Favorite song type?"

"Pop songs definitely. Something you can dance to."

 _Dancing, I love dancing._ Vinnie thought while staring at Mango.

"What kind of hobbies do you participate in?"

"Well, I love to draw, read, act, and I am _super_ computer savvy. But I have to say that my biggest hobby is writing."

"Writing? Care to explain?" Russell asked while scribbling notes onto his little clipboard.

"Well, stories. I love to write and illustrate my own stories."

 _Stories huh? I love books. Well, I would if I knew how to read. Funny how many words rhyme with read… seed, feed. Hey when's feeding time again? I wonder what we are having. I hope flies, you know time flies. Wait, what time is it? Am I late for a party? Tell the host I'm sorry!_

"Vinnie! VINNIE!"

"What! Russell what's wrong?" Vinnie asked in annoyance as he tore his gaze away from Mango and turned to face his spikey friend.

"You were staring at Mango, you know that staring is not proper Day Care etiquette." Russell said while glaring at Vinnie.

"Oh." Vinnie said as he began turning red, "Sorry, I was thinking about um… Mangos." He became redder every second.

"That's weird. I thought that geckos couldn't blush. You know because you are cold blooded." Russell said while scratching his chin and studying Vinnie.

"I'm NOT blushing Ok? It's just hot in here." Vinnie tried to defend himself, then he caught a glance at Mango. She seemed to be buying it. She was smiling at him. Her teeth were white and her eyes were sparkling. "Yeah, really, _really_ hot…"

"Let me introduce you to everyone else. I am Zoe Trent and to the full extent I'm a big star here, I sing the song to represent! Oh yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaah!" Zoe began to burst into song as she jumped in front of Vinnie.

Mango just sat there and smiled.

"We're the Littlest Pet Shop Pets!" Everyone struck a pose and looked at Mango to see her reaction.

"Nice job! That was great, excellent, fantastic, AWESOME!" Mango stood up and began clapping her paws together. She was so overcome with joy! All these wonderful, talented pets put on a show just to welcome her! Mango was overwhelmed with the wide range of talent that could be found at the Pet Shop. So many pets working together as friends to make their dreams come true. She had always wondered what that might be like.

Once the song was over all the pets scattered and began doing their own activities. So Mango decided to go over to the friendliest pet, Pepper Clark. She tried to remember what Pepper's talent was. Was she the painter, the dancer, or maybe the magician? Mango strolled over to Pepper to see what she was doing. Hoping that she would be able to tell what Pepper was interested in before she had to talk to her, Mango peered over the skunk's shoulder. Pepper's back was turned and she didn't notice Mango arrive.

The pet's large tail obsured Mango's vision and she evetually stopped trying to see what Pepper was doing. For a few minutes Mango just sat there, unsure about what to do. She wasn't the most daring pet and had a little trouble talking to new pets. Sure, during the welcome she was as perky as ever. But one on one, that was a little scary. Her heart began to pound like a drum and her breathing got quicker as she tried to muster up the courage to talk to the skunk. One minute passed, two minutes, three. She finally took a deep breath and cleared her throat quietly. Unfortunately, Pepper did not seem to notice.

"Um… hi Pepper. I was, uh, wondering what you were doing." Mango said quietly.

Pepper turned and startled Mango. Pepper had on a large pair of fake glasses with a big nose and mustache attached to them. Instantly Mango remembered what Pepper's talent was, comedy. She was sure that on stage those glasses were a real crowd pleaser, but right in front of your face they were not so pleasing. Jumping back, Mango tried to still her heart and stop her paws from shaking. The scare did help her adrenaline go through the roof and she was pleased to realized that she was no longer nervous. Clearing her throat, Mango gave Pepper a smile.

"Pepper I was wondering if I could possibly hang out with you. Maybe get to know you and the other pets. I'm sure we would both have a splendid time." Mango smiled at the weirdly dressed skunk.

"Uh, I don't think so." Pepper said in a dull voice. Her expression was one of bordem as she looked at the surprisde pet in front of her.

Mango's smile dropped from her face instantly. "Okay then. I'll go see if someone else wants to be friendly." She began to turn away, her hint at Pepper's unfriendliness lingering in the air. Mango was not a vicious pet in any way, but she was a master in hiding insults.

"Hey, come back here. Hehehehe. It was a _joke_. Of course we can hang out." Pepper called Mango back while giggling. "That last bit about finding someone friendly, that was good. I like your spunk kid. We're gonna be best buds. I just know it."

"Thanks Pepper, I like your spunk too." Mango said with a wide smile.

"So tell me, what do you think about the others?" Pepper leaned in with interest.


	3. Chapter 3 : First Impressions

Chapter 3 : First Impressions

"Well, let me think. Zoe Trent, she seemed really confident. She is the singer and definitely looks it. Her singing is great and she seems to love to perform. Definitely a show dog, a purebred probably." Mango looked over at Pepper to see if she was correct. Pepper nodded showing Mango that she was.

They were both sitting on two pet beds in a corner of the Pet Shop. It was a nice spot, quiet and far away from the other pets. A spot where a promising friendship could bloom and Pepper could quiz Mango on the other pets to see what she had learned. So far Mango was doing great. Mango plucked at the fabric of the yellow pet bed she was on and continued to talk. As she did, Pepper fluffed the blue bed she sat on and readjusted her tail.

"All right, Russell Ferguson next. He seems to be the leader of the group. Very organized and caring. Responsible and loves checklists. He rolls into a ball a lot?" Mango asked the last question with a raised eyebrow. She knew a little bit about hedgehogs and everything she had read about them mentioned their unique talent of rolling into tiny balls at will.

"Very good, check, check, check, check, check, and for the ball thing, check. Next!" Pepper answered with a smile and a honk of the clown nose she was wearing.

"Minka Mark is the monkey artist. She is _super_ hyper, fun loving, and can make a mess… a lot. A little unstable sometimes. Then there is Penny Ling, she seems pretty quiet. Sensitive and caring, she loves to ribbon dance, has a big amount of grace, and an even bigger amount of tears. No offense to her." Mango said with a guilty look.

"Eh, don't worry about it. She can cry a lot, so be careful with what you say to her. Learned that the hard way… never try insult comedy!" Pepper said the last sentence while glaring at Mango.

"Good to know? Anyway, Pepper Clark, well she seems like a pretty funny skunk. Happy, fun loving, cares about her friends, and loves her props. Am I correct?" Mango leaned in as she asked the question. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled and raised one eyebrow.

"Hehehe, guilty!" Another clown nose honk.

"Vinnie Terrio is the dancer. He seems really nice. He knows a lot about dancing. Very athletic, but maybe a little on the dim side. He also seems like he can be a little clumsy at times, but hey, who am I to judge?" Mango nearly slipped off of the pet bed she was on while finishing her sentence. She just laughed and steadied herself.

"Wow, you are on a ROLL! Except, Vinnie athletic? Come on." Pepper gave Mango a confused look, wondering where she could have gotten that from.

"Dancing is very hard. To do all the moves he does and go as fast as he does you need to be very strong. Now, I know I am missing someone. Oh yes! Sunil the magician. He seems to love his magic, even if it doesn't work sometimes. But he does seem to have talent, a little cowardly, and really quiet. But I think he is a good friend and can be quite brave if he wanted to." Mango finished her summary and snuck a glance over to where Sunil was practicing his magic. His hat had exploded… again. She giggled and turned back to Pepper.

"Sunil, brave? Come on. No offense to him but he isn't the bravest pet in the room. Anyway, you seem to know quite a lot about everyone here. Everyone seemed to make great first impressions. I think you will fit in fine." Pepper gave her a pat on the back and then walked over to the door where her owner was waiting. Waving good bye she hopped into her owner's arms and was carried away.

 _Well, now who should I hang out with?_ Mango wondered as she watched the skunk be carried away. She quickly scanned the room, made her choice, and walked over.


	4. Chapter 4 : Golden Eyes

Chapter 4 : Golden Eyes

"All right, prepare to be amazed!" Sunil waved his wand around in circles in the air, getting ready to perform his newest trick. Vinnie was sitting in front of him waiting for the trick to start. He tried to be interested. After all, Sunil was his best friend, but his mind kept snapping back to Mango. He didn't know why he couldn't stop thinking about her. He was stumped. Why did his stomach feel funny? Why did he blush? Why couldn't he get her out of his head? Vinnie shook his head and tried to concentrate on the pet in front of him.

"I will now need a volunteer. Anyone from the audience?" Sunil pretended that he was talking to a large audience. He began gesturing with his paws and looking from side to side.

"Uh, Sunil. I think we have a problem." Vinnie raised his hand to draw Sunil's attention.

"Yes, what is it?" Sunil asked impatiently.

"If I am the volunteer, then you won't _have_ an audience." Vinnie emphasized by waving his arms around at all of the empty space around him.

Sunil almost dropped his magic wand. His gecko friend did have a good point. But none of the other pets wanted to see the trick. He tapped his wand against his head thoughtfully before spotting an orange pet walk by. Sunil's eyes lit up as he called out to the pet.

"Hey, come over here and prepare to be amazed!" He exclaimed.

"Not now Sunil." Russell called back.

"Great." Sunil muttered under his breath. Just then he heard something behind him. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sunil jumped high into the air while screaming a high pitched scream. He turned to see Mango staring at him with a friendly smile. Her eyes were darting from side to side as if she was wondering whether or not she should leave. She began to take a few steps away before deciding against it and began facing him again.

"Oh, pardon my outburst. I thought that you were something dangerous and mongoose hating." Sunil straightened his magician hat and dusted off his cape as he spoke.

"No biggie. I heard that you needed an audience. Maybe even an assistant? I would love to help with the magic trick." Mango smiled an even bigger smile as she looked at Sunil's wand and cape. Her eyes seemed to shine as she studied the way his cape swished around him.

"Really? No one ever _willingly_ volunteers except for Vinnie." Sunil said in surprise.

Mango glanced over to the gecko sitting down on the floor and waved to him. Vinnie sat there as if he was paralyzed. With a great amount of effort, he slowly waved back. Glancing away he pretended to not be listening to their conversation. He tried to convince himself that he wasn't listening to their conversation. Vinnie might have scooted up a little bit, but it was just to get comfortable of course. He most certainly did not lean forward any more than usual.

"Please Sunil, I promise I will do great! It will be fun. Please!" Mango's irises grew so large that they seemed to fill her entire eyes.

Vinnie's eyes grew as large as Mango's. He couldn't breathe, his heart began to quicken, and his brain turned fuzzy. He had already known that she was beautiful…and hot… but he had not realized how much until now. Her face seemed to shine, gazing up pleadingly. But the shining could do nothing to dim the light radiating from her eyes. Her beautiful, beautiful eyes. They seemed to glow, life flooding from them, filling the whole room. They sparkled, twinkled, specks of light floating in the golden glow. He saw nothing but those eyes, those beautiful, beautiful eyes.

 _What I wouldn't give to have those eyes looking at me. Those golden eyes…_ Vinnie thought as he scooted even closer.


	5. Chapter 5: Fear

Chapter 5: Fear

Sunil stared at the pet in front of him. She was gazing at him with large, pleading eyes. He could not believe how big her eyes had gotten in a matter of seconds. She must really want to help him in his magic trick. Still, something was stopping him from agreeing. He could not place his paw on it. Why would he send away such a willing volunteer? He did need someone to assist with his trick and no one else seemed to want to.

He tapped his chin with his paw, deep in thought. He wanted to say yes, he really did. So why didn't he just say it already? Something was holding him back and he intended to find out what it was. It wasn't anger. She had done nothing wrong. It wasn't jealousy. What did he have to be jealous about? It wasn't sadness. He was overjoyed that someone besides Vinnie was taking an interest in his magic. Maybe it was… fear? Yes, fear had to be it. Once Sunil realized that it all became clear.

He was afraid. Afraid of something new. He was so used to Vinnie accepting his magic and the other pets being annoyed by it. Vinnie always helped him with his tricks. Vinnie always played with him. Vinnie always watched scary movies with him. Vinnie always looked out for Sunil. Vinnie always accepted him. Vinnie was his best friend. What would happen if he accepted another? Vinnie and Sunil, that was the way it was, and should be. So, how did Mango fit into this equation? What would that do to his and the green gecko's friendship? Sunil realized that he was scared to find out.

Sighing, he looked down at Mango and decided to tell her that he was sorry, but there was absolutely no room for her in his magic trick. He opened his mouth to tell her when he noticed something else. For a moment he just stared as he realized that she was alone. Mango had nobody with her. She did not have a friend to help her, play with her, or support her. The pleading pet had no Vinnie to call her own and was desperately trying to find one. Sunil thought back to when he had no Vinnie. It was a sad and lonely time. A time that he would never wish any pet to feel for any longer than they had to. Frowning, Sunil looked into her sparkling eyes and began to smile. Mango did not need to be lonely for much longer.


	6. Chapter 6 : The Magic Trick

Chapter 6 : The Magic Trick

Mango stood in a box decorated with stars. Her heart felt like it was going to burst with excitement! She was the lovely assistant of Sunil the Great, a mongoose magician. Mango had never met a mongoose before, much less one that was also a magician. At first when he had taken so long to answer her question she had been worried that he would say no. After a few minutes he had finally shaken his head yes and told her where to stand. Now she was in a box about to be magically transported from one place to another. It was so exhilarating. She could hardly stop from laughing with glee! But, Mango forced herself to remain calm.

 _Act professional Mango. You are a magician's assistant and should act like one. Oh, but this is just so AWESOME!_ Mango began to softly bounce up and down as she waited for the magic trick to begin.

"Ladies and gentleman, prepare to be amazed! I, Sunil the Great, will do a trick I like to call… the old Switcheroo _Improved_! I will send this lovely pet through space, disappearing from the box and me reappearing in her place. But this time, she will also reappear in _my_ place!" Sunil said with great flourishes and waves of his wand. He emphasized the fact that the trick _would_ work and that _he_ would be the one to do it.

 _Wow, Sunil sure is excited about this trick. What does he mean by_ improved _? Has he tried this trick before?_ Mango thought as she began to worry a little. Her bouncing ceased.

Sunil began running around in circles, swishing his cape and chanting magic words. Mango couldn't help it, she began to giggle. He looked funny when he flaped his cape, as if he was a chicken trying to take flight. The sounds he was emitting reminded her of a chicken as well. Mango was still a little worried, but her glee began to overshadow the doubt. She had full confidence that Sunil could get this trick right.

"I hope this works." Sunil muttered as he faced the box.

Maybe not _full_ confidence.

Mango quickly shut her eyes as Sunil waved the magic wand. Her heart beat faster and faster, she knew there was no backing out now. But, she hoped with every fiber of her being that the trick would work. She steeled herself for whatever was coming next. Then, a blinding light appeared out of nowhere. It was so bright that it stung her eyes and made them water even with her eyelids closed. Her entire body felt tingly, as if she had lied down too long without moving at all. Suddenly she heard a noise, a soft ringing like a bell. It was so soothing, she began to calm down. That noise, that beautiful sound filled her ears. The bell seemed to transport her away from her fears and her troubles. She was completely at peace with herself and the world.

The ringing stopped all too soon. Mango opened her eyes slowly and blinked to get used to the change in light. She was standing in a cloud of smoke, coughing she tried to find out where she was. Mango realized that she was standing in front of a very surprised Vinnie. Then she remembered what had transpired only a few moments ago.

"The trick worked. The trick _worked_! Yes! Great job Sunil! You were amazing!" Mango ran over and congratulated the Mongoose with a hug. Her tail wagged as she released the proud pet. Her cheeks were a faint shade of pink as she looked up at the mongoose.

"Thank you, but I could never have done it without my great assistant." Sunil patted Mango on the back before strolling over to Vinnie with a large grin.

"So, what do you think my green friend? Was it not amazing?" Sunil's eyes shone with pride as he got the opinion of his best friend.

"Sunil buddy, you were great!" Vinnie embraced Sunil in a hug.

Mango sat back and smiled. It warmed her heart to see them be so affectionate with each other. She had always wanted a friend that she could confide in. Someone who would be there for her and who she could be there for in return. It seemed like Vinnie and Sunil had found that one friend that would always be there. Mango's tail wagged as she dreamed about the joy they must have been feeling at that moment. She truly believed that _nothing_ could get in the way of those two friends.


	7. Chapter 7 : The Singing Contest

Chapter 7 : The Singing Contest

Once the two pets were done celebrating the victory of Sunil's magic trick a purple dog came over to them and Mango. She strutted proudly, with a raised head and tail. This was not being done on purpose. She did not have some colossal piece of news to share or some important role in a dog show to play. No, she was simply being herself. When she walked she strutted, when she talked she usually stuck a song in, and when she was in the spotlight she owned the spotlight. She was Zoe Trent. The diva of the Day Camp and proud of it.

"Sorry to interrupt but I was dying to ask Mango something. By the way I saw your trick Sunil and I thought it was great. Good work." Zoe said as she sat down in front of the group of pets. She flipped her ears as she did so her face would not be covered.

"Thank you Zoe. That trick took a lot of hard planning and work to get it to work to perfection." Sunil boasted proudly.

"I'm sure it did." Zoe said already turned away. "Mango I was wondering if you wouldn't mind having a little singing contest with me? Of course all the pets now how amazing I am at singing, but you haven't had the pleasure of watching me perform and we haven't had the pleasure of actually hearing you sing." Zoe fluffed her ears as she spoke.

Mango was backed into a corner, figuratively and literally. She was figuratively backed into a corner because she wasn't sure what to do about the singing contest and literally because the magic trick had taken place in a corner of the room. One side of her did not want to sing in front of everyone. But, the other side did not want to disappoint everyone either. The two sides battled ferociously for a few minutes. Mango wasn't sure _who_ would win. Finally she took a deep breath and prepared to say her answer.

"Um…" Mango began as she remembered that she had forgotten to actually think of an answer. Her eyes darted from side to side as she looked for a way to escape.

"All right Sweeties, time for Mango to go home!" Mrs. Twombly yelled from the doorway. She walked in carrying the same yellow and pink crate that Mango had arrived in. Mango looked at it with relief. It seemed to shine in the light. She was so happy to see it.

"Sorry Zoe, but I'll have to tell you tomorrow. Bye!" Mango yelled as she jumped into the crate. She made sure not to make eye contact as it was carried away.

"Oh okay, bye." Zoe watched as Mango was taken out of the Day Camp.

The next day, Mango arrived at Littlest Pet Shop to find a huge crowd of pets staring at her. All seven were there to see if she would agree to sing against their best singer. Mango also noticed a new face in the crowd. A girl with big blue eyes and an even bigger head was sitting in the middle of all of them. Her brown hair was done up in a ponytail and she was wearing a stylish purple shirt with a red skirt. Mango figured that she was just there to play with the pets. Maybe she had heard that there was a new one and just wanted to see it. Mango had noticed that most people had a soft spot for pets and would visit places to play with them even if they did not plan on getting one of their own.

"Hey everybody! Great to be here again." Mango finished with a big smile, even giving a little bark. After all, she had to put on the good girl show for the human. Her tail wagged as she walked up to her new friends, hoping that they had forgotten about the contest.

"Blythe, this is Mango. Mango, this is our friend Blythe." Russell introduced the human to Mango. He smiled as Mango stepped forward to receive a scratch on the ear.

"Hi there. I hope you like it here Mango. Littlest Pet Shop is great and I think you're gonna love it!" Blythe leaned down to talk to Mango better and gave her a big, friendly smile.

"Did she just talk to me? Oh who cares, this is insanely cool! Wow, it is so great to have a human that can actually understand me." Mango couldn't hold it in, she began to jump up and down out of pure excitement. She had completely forgotten what had made all of the pets come to greet her in the first place. Until Pepper brought it up.

"So, Mango. You gonna sing against Zoe or what?" Pepper's tail exploded with a pink fog, it smelled like peppermint.

"Thank you Pepper, for reminding me and everyone else." Mango said while plastering a fake smile on her face. "Um… yes I'll sing against Zoe. But it probably won't be that good."

"I'm sure you both will be great. RTW." Blythe began to stand up until she saw the confused looks on all the pets faces. "Right This Way." She explained.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh." The pets said in unison.

"Wouldn't it just be easier to say that in the first place?" Mango wondered out loud.

All she recieved for an answer was a shrug and a smile from Russell.

They arrived in a far off corner of the day camp area where a small stage had been set up. It had a curtain and lights, with plenty of space for both pets to stand up there and sing. The other pets and Blythe sat down in front of the stage. They motioned for the two performing pets to get up on the stage. Zoe immediately did so, quickly striking a pose when she got to the top. Mango went up a little more slowly with her head down and her tail dragging. She did not strike a pose and instead tried to hide behind the purple dog.

Sunil scratched his chin. Mango seemed nervous. Of course, he would be nervous too if he was in her situation. He began to grab his tail just thinking about it but then stopped when he realized that he was sitting safely with the others. He snuck a glance at Vinnie to see if he had noticed. His green friend was just staring at the stage, oblivious to everything else other than what had caught his attention. Sunil shrugged his shoulders and diverted his attention back to the singing competition.

"All right, here are the rules. You will each sing a _short_ song." Russell said with a pointed look a Zoe. "Explaining a little more about yourself. Whoever does best will be named the winner. Sound fair?"

All the other pets and Blythe shook their heads yes.

"I, of course will go first. To give an example to Mango. Ahem… ladies and gentle pets, the Fabulous Zoe!" Zoe jumped into the air while striking a pose before beginning her song.

 **When I sing, yeah, I know it's amazing!**

 **Don't you just wanna sing just like me?**

 **And my clothes, yeah, I know they're amazing!**

 **My scarf is a velvety paisley!**

Zoe finished with a twirl and pose with one paw behind her head and he leg stuck out behind her. She was tempted to do the Glamour Glare, but decided against it. The song itself was amazing enough to make her win. She then strolled over behind Mango. Mango didn't move at first so she gave her a little nudge. After all, that's what friends do.

Mango was terrified at the idea of going in front of all these pets and one person. She was tempted to back out before she felt a nudge from behind. That _nudge_ pushed her to the front of the stage and caused her to fall down. When she opened her eyes she was face to face with the green gecko named Vinnie. He was blushing fiercely and seemed terrified. His eyes stretched wide as he stammered out, "S-s-s-s-sorry!"

"It's not your fault. _You_ didn't do anything." Mango said, laying another subtle hint. This time aimed at Zoe. The diva dog seemed to not notice.

Mango stood up and prepared to sing her song. She had not given any thought to what she wanted to sing. Mango had figured that when it was time the right song would come to her. She tried to remember the sound of those soothing bells she heard the day before. Letting the gentle sound wash away her fear, Mango took a deep breath and began to sing.

(To the beat of One Direction, You Don't Know You're Beautiful)

 **Friends here like I've never known before**

 **They all want to learn so much mo-o-ore**

 **There's no way out**

 **Its time to sing**

 **A song to tell about me-e-e**

 **Don't know how good I'll be**

 **Not sure what they see in me**

 **I'll try like I've never tried before**

 **A new life as soon I stepped through that door**

 **I must be strong not insecure**

 **To sho-o-ow**

 **What's inside this Mango.**

Mango stole a glance at Russell to see if her song was running too long. He motioned for her to keep going, so she did.

 **I'm loving toward my family**

 **My friends all mean so much to me**

 **I'm living my life and trying to help you see**

 **I want to sho-o-ow**

 **What's inside this Mango-o-o**

 **Here's what makes me Mango**

She began to gain confidence and started to sing her song a little louder. Her voice filled the Day Camp and her song rang loud. It might run a little long, but they wanted to know about her and she was going to tell them.

 **So l-listen up**

 **Cause here I go**

 **Me and my friends**

 **Get alo-o-ong**

 **I'm gonna fly**

 **Not gonna cry**

 **Someday my dreams**

 **are gonna be reali-i-ized**

 **Making a name for myself**

 **Showing what I can do**

 **Dreams are realized with hard work through and through**

 **I know I can share my hopes with all of you**

 **Writing my stories here I go**

 **To sho-o-ow**

 **What's inside this Mango**

Mango closed her eyes and let herself be swept away by the music. She didn't dance, she didn't pose. She just sang.

 **I'm usually very happy and friendly**

 **But get me mad and I'm quite snarky**

 **I got more comebacks than you can see**

 **Just trying to sho-o-ow**

 **What's inside this Mango-o-o**

 **Here's what makes me Ma-ango**

 **Mang mang mang mang**

 **Mang mang mang go**

 **Here I go go go go go**

 **Go-o-o**

 **Woah-oah-oah-oah oah oah**

She was nearing her big finish. All she saw was darkness and she tried not to think of what was behind her eyelids. Instead she focused only on the song.

 **I love the world that's around me**

 **I live in it quite happily**

 **The birds, the grass, the sky, the trees**

 **Let me sho-o-ow**

 **What's inside this Mango**

 **I revel in the nature that's around me**

 **Behind every bush, behind every tree**

 **There is magic hidden in all I see**

 **Now you kno-o-ow**

 **What makes me Mango**

 **Having friends like you helps me see**

 **That magic is reality**

 **I am so happy that i got to show**

 **Show-o-ow**

 **What's inside this Mango-o-o**

 **I'll never go-o-o**

 **Because I am Ma-ango**

She slowly opened her eyes. They were already beginning to fill with tears. Of course they hated her sappy song! What was she thinking? How could she have been so personal with all of them? She had just met them and now she had probably scared them all away with her lame song. The fact that she was probably going to cry in front of all of them like a little pup was enough to make her eyes fill with tears even faster.

What she saw next was enough to surprise the tears right from her eyes. Every pet, even Blythe, had tears forming in their eyes. They wiped their eyes and stared at her with smiles on their faces. Mango didn't know what to think. She couldn't be _that_ good. She _wasn't_ that good. She knew that. How could her song do any of this? Mango constantly wondered why people seemed to get so emotional around her, she was always doing or saying something to stimulate some kind of emotion. Mango knew she wasn't that great, so why did people always treat her like it?

Her ears began to drop, time for someone to go on and on about how great she was. How perfect she was. She knew she could never be what they called her. How could she possibly keep impressing everyone when everything she did should have let them down? She knew deep down that she could never be as great as people thought she was. They just haven't seen that yet.

"That was great Mango." Russell clapped his paws together. That was all he said.

The other pets looked at him with surprise. They had expected him to go on and on like he normally did. He could go on for a good hour on the proper way to fluff a pillow, but he barely said a single sentence about the song they had just heard. But Mango glanced at him with her eyes full of appreciation. He knew that she did not need a lot of flattery or compliments. She was the kind of pet that enjoyed someone loving what she did but began to feel uncomfortable if she was the center of attention for too long. It was a tough combination to be and Russell had a feeling that she struggled with it often. He wasn't about to add to her problems. He sensed that a simple 'good job' meant the whole world to Mango.

"I believe we all know who won the singing contest." Russell turned to the audience.

"Mango! Mango! Mango!" They all began to chant.

Mango's heart filled to bursting with joy. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They accepted her, no, they _liked_ her! Her feet were resting on air. The world seemed to shimmer and shine. The bells chimed louder than ever. Then they stopped.

"But her song was too long!" Zoe complained.

"Yes, but I wanted to hear the rest of it." Russell said while giving Zoe a 'don't you start' look.

"Why didn't you want to hear more of mine?" Zoe continued to whine.

"Did the entire song talk about how amazing you and your clothes were?" Russell said as he folded his arms and gave Zoe a glare.

"Maybe." Zoe admitted as she looked away/

Russell just raised his eyebrow at Zoe and turned away. The other pets continued to cheer for Mango, oblivious to the exchange between the hedgehog and the dog.

Zoe's eyes narrowed. She hated losing.


	8. Chapter 8 : Big Bad Mango

Chapter 8 : Big Bad Mango

The pets were calmly going about their business when Minka ran to the center of the room shouting. In her hand she held a big book. She was making different kinds of monkey noises and seemed frightened so all of the pets ran over to see what was wrong. The only pet not there was Mango because she had not been dropped off at the Day Camp yet.

"What's wrong Minka?" Russell asked with concern.

"What are you holding?" Zoe chimed in as she pointed at the book in the pink pet's hand.

"I was painting a picture for my splatter series when I saw this big book come out of nowhere! It had pictures in it so I stopped to take a look! Then I saw this! Eeeeek! Ooh ooh aah!" Minka screeched as she showed a page of the book.

On it there was a picture of a big, snarling, foamy mouthed beast. It was grey, walked on four legs and had huge teeth. It was shown blowing down some poor pig's houses. The pets shuddered as their eyes scanned the picture. They took in every little detail and was revolted by what they saw.

"That's a wolf. This must be the story of the Three Little Pigs." Russell commented as everyone continued to look at the picture.

Just then they heard someone come through the door. It was Mango. She grinned as she ran over to see what everyone was looking at. Once she saw the picture her ears drooped slightly. Chuckling a nervous laugh, Mango pointed at the book. "What are you all doing?" She smiled as convincingly as she could.

"Just looking at this horrid creature." Zoe said with a glare at the page.

"They're scary." Penny Ling said softly.

"I positively hate wolves. They are what make Werewolves." Sunil said while his irises got smaller. He shuddered and hugged himself as he talked.

"Yeah! If one of those big, ugly things ever stepped foot in the Pet Shop they would get what was coming to them!" Vinnie said while shaking a fist. He demonstrated what exactly a wolf would get by doing a few kicks in the air. The effect was ruined when he landed on his back instead of on his feet.

Mango began to growl.

"Ugly!" Minka screeched.

"Mean!" Penny Ling exclaimed.

Her back hair began to stand on end.

"Nasty!" Sunil said.

"Horrid!" Zoe commented.

Her irises got smaller and smaller.

"Wolves!" Pepper said with her nose wrinkled.

"Wolves!" Russell said while observing the picture.

"Wolves!" Vinnie said with a shiver.

"That's it! Would you all stop talking so horribly about wolves?" Mango roared. Her chest heaved with every breath. Her fur fluffed and her tail stood out straight. Shaking, she tried to keep the tears that threatened to leak out in her eyes.

"Uh, why do you care?" Zoe said while glaring at Mango.

"Because _I'm_ a wolf!" Mango said as the tears slid down her face.

Soon after, Mango regretted saying what she did. Everyone was staring at her with their mouths wide open, looks of surprise frozen on their faces. The air became thick and awkward as everyone realized that life in the Day Camp was never going to be the same again. The secret was out and there was no way it was ever going back in. Mango, their friend, was a wolf. A big, bad wolf that could just as easily eat them like the one in the book had done with the poor pigs. What had just happened?

Mango wondered how could she have messed everything up so quickly. Everyone had finally accepted her for who she was, in a way. She had made seven, eight counting Blythe, new friends. Finally, pets who weren't scared of her or judged her because of what they heard. She had begun to think that no one would ever wish to be with her and then she had found this magical place. Littlest Pet Shop, where she could be what she wanted to be. But she was wrong. This wasn't a place of magic, these pets were just like all the rest. Now she knew it. The realization that she had lost all her friends there snapped something inside of her. Her eyes narrowed as she roughly wiped the tears from her face. If they wanted a Big Bad Mango, they could have one.

"Well, don't any of you have anything to say now? No insults about wolves, no comments to share?" Mango let the venom of her words sink in as she waited for their response. Her yellow eyes pierced through each of them, unblinking.

"Mango, we're sorry. We didn't know. It is just, you don't look like a wolf." Russell said softly in an attempt to ease the tension.

"I'm a Maned Wolf. We look more like foxes than wolves." Mango tried to calm down. They were trying to make it better. They wanted to be her friends. She knew it. She _knew_ it.

"I-I-I'm sorry Mango." Penny Ling stammered.

Mango took a step toward Penny Ling, assuming that she was stammering because she was about to cry. But once she did Penny Ling took three steps back. Mango then realized that Penny Ling wasn't sad. She was _scared_. Scared of the big bad wolf in front of her. Scared of _her_. She wasn't Penny Ling's friend anymore. Mango wasn't a friend to any of them.

"Why are you all still treating me differently? You are all animals too! Why are you so scared because I'm a wolf?" Mango yelled out frantically. She could feel her chest tightening as she stared at their fearful faces.

"Well, there are a lot of stories regarding the savage nature of wolves." Russell said. "But that doesn't mean we should believe them." He added hastily as he realized that he was not helping the situation.

"Yeah, yeah stories! Lots and Lots of STORIES! Eeee!" Minka yelled out as she swung around the Pet Shop. "Eee! Eee!"

"Like the Three Little Pigs, where the wolf blows down all of the pig's homes." Zoe chimed in. When she finished speaking she looked at Mango with a savage grin.

"Little Red Riding Hood, where the wolf gobbles up the girl like a pistachio pudding pie, and that's NOT funny." Pepper said as she instinctively raised up her tail for defense.

"But in the Jungle Book the wolves raise the baby they find." Russell pointed out as he tried to show his friends that wolves were well represented in other stories.

"Yeah, was that before or after they ate? Cause maybe they just weren't HUNGRY!" Pepper yelled out as her tail exploded a cloud of green scent.

As if on cue Mango's stomach began to growl. Mango blushed and placed a paw over her stomach to stop it but it just got louder. For a moment it seemed that no one knew where the sound was coming from. They all checked their stomachs, placing paws on top of them, as they tried to find out if it was coming from inside of themselves. When they realized that none of them were the culprit, they all turned slowly towards the blushing wolf. Every face in the room turned pale, with the exception of Mango who was turning redder every second.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" Minka yelled as she swung out of the way.

Every pet began to panic and run. Even Russell, who was not willing to stand next to any hungry, carnivorous, wild animal. Pepper jumped and dived into her box of props. Penny Ling hid behind the armchair in the room. Russell rolled over to the squeaky toys and blended in with the squeaky balls. Zoe sprinted over to the green box in the room and squeezed herself inside. Minka hid on the top of the big tree while Vinnie and Sunil ran to where they hid when they thought Littlest Pet Shop was filled with werewolves. It seemed appropriate.

 _She was so perfect._ Vinnie thought sadly as he watched Mango run away.

Mango looked all around her with a strange combination of sadness and anger. Her eyes filled with moisture as she turned around quickly. Running as fast as her legs could carry her, she reached the fire hydrant slide in a matter of minutes. She jumped into the fire hydrant and lied down. Her ears collapsed onto her head like her body collapsing to the hard ground. Closing her eyes, Mango whimpered softly. All she wanted to do was sleep.


	9. Chapter 9 : Wolves and Jokes

Chapter 9 : Wolves and Jokes

A few hours later the pets were all gathered together to listen to some of Pepper's new jokes. They had decided to try and get their minds of the fact that there was a blood thirsty wolf in their midst by getting a good laugh. Mango was still in the fire hydrant for all they knew and everything seemed perfectly safe for the moment. Despite that fact, the pets shuffled nervously on the ground and kept sneaking glances back at the fire hydrant. Sunil grabbed his tail and twisted it violently in his paws. Vinnie noticed and gently took the tail out of Sunil's paws before he could hurt himself without knowing it. Smiling, Sunil thanked Vinnie with a pat on the back.

"How are you doing?" Vinnie asked with concern. He knew that Sunil could get frightened easily and being in the same room with a wolf was not good for the mongoose.

"As well as can be expected. You?" Sunil asked with a small smile.

"Same." Was all Vinnie said before turning back to the stage with a sigh. He jumped suddenly when Pepper burst onto the stage laughing loudly.

"All right everybody, ready to laugh your tails off? Not literally Vinnie!" Pepper joked as Vinnie's tail fell off when the gecko landed back on the ground.

That got a good laugh from everyone and Pepper felt great. She had amazing material for the show and thanks to a friend's suggestions, she had even found a way to make their current situation work for her. Pepper's face was smug as she cracked her knuckles and prepared to get started. It was going to be her best show ever.

Mango decided that it was time to stop hiding in the fire hydrant. She had taken a nap for a few hours and felt well rested. Ready to set this whole wolf problem to rest, Mango smiled stretched. She climbed out, looking around for the other pets. Mango secretly hoped to find Pepper first. The skunk was her closest friend in the Pet Shop and Mango knew that if anyone would understand what she was going through it would be her.

 _After all, who could know more about being judged by what they are more than a skunk?_ Mango thought as she scanned the room for her friend. _Other than a wolf anyway._

She heard laughter and followed the sound. Mango then saw all the pets gathered around for one of Pepper's shows. Sitting down a few feet away from the other pets, Mango decided to listen to some of the jokes. After the show was over, she would be able to speak to Pepper privately and hopefully fix everything.

"Ok, what did Little Red Riding Hood said to her grandma?" Pepper asked with a smile and chuckle.

"What?" Everyone answered with large smiles.

"I almost thought you were a wolf, until you were able to talk to me!" Pepper yelled out as she jumped into the air. Wiping a tear from her eye, she looked at her audience to see what they thought of her opening joke.

Everyone cracked up laughing. The pets fell over themselves as they struggled to support themselves. Once the giggling had quieted down, they all turned to Pepper with bright smiles. Their eyes shined with merriment as they prepared for another laughing fit.

"What did the Three Little Pigs say to the wolf?" Pepper asked innocently

"What?" Everyone said as their smiles grew wider.

"We don't want you inside our houses. Just because you broke our houses doesn't mean you're _housebroken_!" Pepper began laughing hysterically.

The other pets joined her. Sunil's laugh rang out above the rest. He blushed and covered his mouth with his paws. The other pets began to laugh even harder when they noticed the look on his face. Vinnie patted him on the back to let him know it was all right if he laughed. Getting the hint, Sunil began to laugh louder than ever.

"Ok, ok, last one. Here goes. What is the difference between a Wolf and a Skunk?" Pepper said with a devilish grin. Her eyes scanned the crowd as she waited.

All the pets looked at each other with confusion. Then they all shrugged. Turning to Pepper they leaned forward and waited for the punch line.

"One is SMELLY and the other is… a Skunk!" Pepper yelled triumphantly.

That joke sent everyone into hysterics. They all fell over and began laughing until their sides ached. It seemed to last for several minutes before they were able to calm down. Their mirth ended when they saw a pet step out from the shadows.

"Wow, funny stuff there. Funny stuff. Nice jokes best bud." Mango said while giving them all a sarcastic smile. Her eyes were slightly narrowed and did not sparkle.

Pepper gazed down with a shameful expression. Suddenly her jokes weren't that funny.

Mango went and sat down in the crowd of pets. They all scooted over and gave her some room. She looked at every one of them before looking back at Pepper. They had all seemed ashamed as well. Vinnie wouldn't even meet her gaze. She chuckled softly as she stared down the skunk.

 _So this was how brave they are. They can't even say anything._ Mango thought bitterly. _No wonder they are scared of me._ Her heart was aching, but she ignored it and continued.

"What no more jokes? I thought you had a million of them Pepper. I'm disappointed." Mango said with mock dissappointment. Her mouth began to form a slight pout.

Pepper flinched at Mango's calm tone. People always said that it was horrible to have someone yell but it was twice as scary when someone was being quiet. She had never believed them before. How could someone be scary when they were being quiet? It was too absurd for any sane pet to believe. Now she believed them. Pepper wanted nothing more than for Mango to scream, yell, do anything besides talk.

"I have one. What's the difference between wolves and jokes?" Mango looked around at everyone. No one would look back. "Come on. No one knows?"

She sighed with dissappointment before continuing. "Well then. One is absolutely vicious and the other is… a wolf." Mango let her words hang in the quiet air for a little while before she began to talk again. "Thank you ladies and gentle pets. I'll be here all day, and the day after that, and the day after that, and every day in the foreseeable future. I'm not going _anywhere_."

She then got up, walked away into the fire hydrant and lied down inside. The shamed pets decided to get up and go to her but Zoe quickly stopped them. She held out her paws to block their path and gave them a serious look. Her tone was firm when she spoke.

"She just wants to be alone right now." Zoe said with a glare.

But the truth was that Mango didn't want to be left alone. She wanted someone, _anyone_ , to come and comfort her. To apologize and listen to her. If just one pet could find the courage to come to the fire hydrant and see the horrible wolf, she would know that she had actually made a true friend. Mango whimpered as she closed her eyes. She doubted that would ever happen. There was no pet brave enough in the entire Pet Shop.


	10. Chapter 10 : Jealous? That's Ridiculous!

Chapter 10 : Jealous? That's Ridiculous!

Penny Ling was sitting in a corner. She felt tears come to her eyes and didn't bother to wipe them away. The panda wanted to feel her fur grow soggy. It would remind her that she had done something terrible. She had really hurt Mango's feelings. Penny Ling remembered how she had felt when Pepper tried insult comedy out on her. She had cried then, and she cried now. Penny Ling felt like she should have said something but everyone else had loved the jokes. In fact, she felt ashamed to admit this, she had loved them as well. Now she was sitting in a corner feeling terrible for doing the same thing that Pepper had done to her to Mango. Groaning, Penny Ling chastised herself for not learning her lesson the first time.

Because she was busy scolding herself, she didn't notice when someone walked over to her. A purple paw lifted her chin up and soon she was gazing into the blue eyes of Zoe. Penny Ling sighed with relief. She knew Zoe would help be able to help her get over her horrible feeling. After all she was her friend. Penny Ling's face lit up for a moment before falling back under the dark cloud.

"Penny Ling, are you ok?" Zoe asked with great concern. She could feel her throat clogging as she struggled not to cry because of the expression on her friend's face.

"I'm just sad that I hurt Mango's feelings. I should have never laughed at those j-j-jokes! AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Penny Ling burst into a fit of tears.

"Penny please stop! I hate to see you cry. Oh, I feel so terrible. This is all my fault!" Zoe said as moisture beaded in the corner of her blue eyes.

"B-b-but y-you didn't d-do anyt-t-thing." Penny Ling said while wiping her eyes.

"But I did, I started this whole wolf mess." Zoe said with her head down and ears lowered. She could not bear to meet the panda's sorrowful gaze.

"W-what do you mean?" Penny Ling asked. She suddenly did not feel sad anymore.

"I overheard Mrs. Twombly talking to Mango's owners about what she was. She thought Mango was a fox too, but then I heard them say that Mango was a maned wolf. So I found a story with a wolf in it and put it next to Minka when she was painting." Zoe glanced up to see Penny Ling's reaction. Penny Ling was staring at her seriously, all traces of her earlier crying gone. Penny Ling folded her arms over her chest as she studied Zoe.

"Go on." Penny Ling said quietly.

Zoe took a deep breath and continued. "I was the one who asked Minka what she was holding so she would show us. I started the name calling by saying the wolf was _horrid_. I asked Mango why she cared about us insulting wolves because I knew she would say she was one. Then I named a story about a big, bad wolf so others would do the same. While we all were done hiding I walked over to Pepper and suggested she put on a show with wolf themed jokes."

"Why?" Penny Ling interrupted.

"I knew that if Mango heard us making fun of her she would leave. Then I could stop everyone from going to her. That way she would think we didn't care." Zoe finished with a sigh.

"Zoe, why would you do all this?" Penny Ling said, placing a paw on Zoe's shoulder.

"It was the singing contest. I lost, and she won. Wolves are supposed to be the most beautiful singers you know. If Mango stayed I would be… second. I couldn't stand it." Zoe growled. "So I tried to ruin all her friendships so she would leave, but she made it pretty clear that she's not leaving."

"Oh, Zoe, just because you lost one contest doesn't make you number two. You will always be our favorite singing dog." Penny Ling embraced Zoe in a bear hug.

"Oh, how could I have been so silly? Jealous? That's ridiculous!" Zoe said with a laugh when she broke off from the hug. Her ears perked up a little as she embraced the panda.

"Yeah." Penny Ling giggled. "Now you just need to tell Mango that you are sorry."

"Yeah, I just need to… wait what?" Zoe said with a look of shock on her face.


	11. Chapter 11 : Friends Are Like A Magic Tr

Chapter 11 : Friends Are Like A Magic Trick

Sunil slowly approached the fire hydrant. He had left Vinnie behind. If he was going to prove that he wasn't scared Sunil had to do this on his own. He shivered as he got closer. The fear caused his fur to stand on end and his tail to twitch. He intinctively began to reach for it but stopped himself before he could grasp the fidgeting tail. His brow began to sweat so he wiped it away with a handkerchief he pulled out of his magician hat. Sunil always felt braver when he had it on. It made him feel a little better, but not much.

Slowly he lifted a paw towards the hydrant and knocked on the wall. When he heard no response, he timidly stuck his head inside of the fire hydrant. His eyes needed to adjust to the darkness for a few seconds before he was able to see what was inside.

Mango lifted her head. She had heard someone knock on the wall. Her heart lifted as she waited for someone to come inside. The sad wolf did not feel like being out of the hydrant yet and was sure that if the pet had come to her they would not mind talking to her inside. Her eyes twinkled as she speculated over who it could be. Was it Pepper? Come to apologize for the jokes and be friends again? Once she saw the blue figure outside her head dropped, it was just the mongoose. Although she had helped him with his magic trick, Mango did not think that they had formed any _special_ bond.

Sunil looked around until he could see Mango's eyes glowing. _Wow, they really are golden._ Sunil thought as he stepped inside. He chuckled nervously when he saw the downcast expression on the maned wolf's face.

He slowly walked over to Mango and sat down in front of her. Twiddling his thumbs, Sunil opened his mouth slightly before closing it. He figured that if she wanted to talk she would start. If she didn't at least he could leave and tell Vinnie he had went inside. He calmly set down his hat and waited for Mango to begin.

Mango groaned inwardly. Time for him to go on and on about how he was sorry and how the other pets were sorry and how everyone in the world was sorry and how he knew what she was going through and blah blah blah. She hated when someone said 'I know how you feel' because most of the time they didn't. It was all just words meant to make the problem go away. Right now _she_ was the problem.

She was surprised when instead of talking to her, he just sat down and waited. She raised her eyebrow. Was he waiting for _her_ to start? She couldn't tell whether he was being considerate or just mocking her. Sighing and desperate, she decided to go for the first option.

"Why are you here?" Mango began softly.

Sunil jumped as Mango spoke. She had spoken so quietly that at first he was not sure whether or not she had spoken at all. He hadn't expected her to begin so quickly. That was good. It meant that she was willing to talk. But now he wasn't sure what to say. Sunil just said the first thing that popped to his head.

"To talk about why you are here." He flinched after he spoke. Mango was upset and defensive, he was not sure she would appreciate such an honest answer.

Mango wasn't expecting what the mongoose answered. Her eyes shined as she saw a chance to let go of all her horrible feelings. Taking a deep breath she prepared to rant. However, when she looked into his eyes she released her breath.

His eyes were so _golden_. They shined in the dim light of the fire hydrant. He seemed to stare right into her very soul. When she looked into them she felt better. They seemed so caring. They actually cared. He actually cared. She wasn't willing to go off on someone with those sensitive eyes.

"I am here because everyone is scared of me." She began again. She looked down so she would not see fear in those gold eyes.

Sunil was shocked. He had expected yelling. Grinning, he went with the new turn of events. Taking a deep breath, he made sure he was calm before answering.

"I am not."

Sunil was shocked to find out that the words were true. He was not afraid.

Mango looked up. He truly wasn't. He was not afraid of her.

"Everyone else is, they all turned on me so quickly." Her anger rose up again and she did not stop it. It wouldn't scare him away. "I _hate_ when this happens. Perfect Mango, that's what I am. Oh look she did this so perfectly. She is so perfect. Everything she does is perfect. Well, I'm NOT perfect. All that does is make me have to do everything perfectly! But I CAN'T! All I can do is let everyone down the first time I don't do something perfectly! But if that's not enough, once I'm a wolf I'm not perfect little Mango anymore! I'm a big, stupid, ugly, ferocious beast who can't think or feel! I'm not Mango then either! I never am! Why can't I ever just be-" Mango broke off and burst into tears. She felt so bad. All her fears had just been spoken. Until then she had been trying to ignore them. Now she knew they were true.

She felt two warm, arms wrap around her. Mango shuddered but didn't push them away. They were all she had left to hold on to.

Sunil watched as Mango burst into tears. Now he understood. She was so wrapped up in being what everybody else saw that she had no chance to be what _she_ saw. Everyone saw a perfect little pet so she felt like she had to be perfect, but once everyone saw a beast Mango believed that they were right. Sunil sympathised with her. He too sometimes had trouble being what he wanted to be. He would tell her. But for now she just needed someone to care.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her. Sunil tensed, not sure how she would react. To his relief she didn't push him away.

Mango wasn't sure how long she cried. It was only a few minutes but to her it felt like hours. She had released all her stress but now she wasn't sure what to do. Mango glanced up to see Sunil smiling at her. She smiled back and wiped her eyes with a trembling paw.

"Doesn't that feel better?" Sunil said with a grin. His eyes looked down at her.

"You are not the only one with these problems. I have had my share of challenges. For instance, I love to do magic. Not everyone thinks I should. They complain and put me down sometimes. But do I listen? NO!" Sunil put on his hat with a flourish.

That earned a giggle from Mango, which encouraged him to go on.

"I keep doing what I love and being me! I know that someday I will show them all what I can do! Friends are like a magic trick. Sometimes they blow up in your face, but other times they come through. It is during those times that you feel the magic." He pulled a bouquet of flowers from his hat and handed them to Mango. Sunil felt his heart flutter when she accepted them.


	12. Chapter 12 : Similar Thoughts

Chapter 12 : Similar Thoughts

Minka swung alone on her tire swing. She felt bad. Which was strange because she normally was upbeat and happy. She didn't feel like running around and doing something crazy. All she could do was sit still and think about what had happened earlier. Mango had tried to be friends and she hadn't let her. What had happened to the Minka that wanted to be everyone's friend? Her stomach ached so she clutched it with her hands. Then she had a thought. That Minka was still here. Excited she swung off of her swing and went to the fire hydrant.

Pepper was sitting alone with her props. She remembered the time when she had made Penny Ling cry with her jokes. She had swore never to make fun of a friend with a joke ever again and now she just had. The skunk sighed as she squeezed her rubber chicken. Her stink was green and swirled around her tail. Pepper felt horrible. The rubber chicken fell from her hands as she just lay there staring at all her props. She grabbed a bunch and hugged them, trying to make herself feel better. Suddenly a wonderful idea popped into her head. How had she patched things up with Penny Ling? She had said sorry! Laughing she raced off toward the fire hydrant.

Vinnie was beginning to worry. Sunil had been gone a while. He began to panic. What if something had happened to him? He couldn't bring himself to think that Mango had done anything to him, but still. Vinnie began to pace back and forth. He wasn't sure if he should go and see how Sunil was doing. Whispering to himself Vinnie tried to calm down. Sunil was probably still outside the hydrant, working up the courage to go inside. Vinnie sat down and worried. He couldn't do it. He couldn't just sit there not knowing what had happened. Getting up he raced toward the fire hydrant.

Russell was holding his clipboard doing his daily checks of Littlest Pet Shop. But his mind wasn't really on what he was doing. He kept thinking back to earlier. He was the most responsible pet there. He should have said something about the jokes. He glanced down at his little list. He could't check one box. Russell pulled at his spikes with frustration. He hated not completing his check list. He sighed, he hated letting down his friends more. Russell looked toward the fire hydrant. He _knew_ she was in there. He should go over there and apologize. That was exactly what he was going to do. He set his clipboard down, rolled into a ball and began to roll toward the hydrant. While he rolled, Russell wondered whether any of the other pets were having similar thoughts.


	13. Chapter 13 : A True Friend

Chapter 13 : A True Friend

All the pets arrived at the fire hydrant at the same time. Each was surprised to see the others there. After a few moments, they all smiled as they realized what they had come there to do. Zoe stepped forward timidly, very unusual for the purple dog. She glanced at Penny Ling, who nodded yes. Finally she took a deep breath and prepared to explain herself.

"I am the one who caused all of this trouble." Zoe said while facing everyone.

"What?" Russell exclaimed. He gave Zoe a questioning look.

Zoe glared at him and continued to tell the others about what she had done.

When she had finished Zoe glanced around at everyone to see their reactions. Minka was excited, Penny Ling was glad, Russell was shocked, Vinnie was confused, and Pepper was angry. Zoe kind of expected Pepper's reaction. After all, she had used her to turn everyone else against Mango. She stared at Pepper defiantly. The old Zoe was back. She was done hiding and being ashamed. The truth had been told and now it was time to deal with it.

The air crackled between the two. Electric currents of hostility seemed to radiate from the air. Pepper glared daggers at Zoe and Zoe was throwing back every single one of them. All the others pets took a step back, each wanting to get further away from the inferno that had consumed their friends.

"You USED me!" Pepper yelled out while pointing an accusing finger at Zoe. Her tail burst with a fog of green.

"I prefer to think of it as creatively involving you." Zoe said with a flourish. She wrinkled her nose as she fanned the smell away.

"My jokes are meant to bring happiness, and you used them to bring _pain_! I am never, ever going to forget this! My jokes are never to be heard by your ears again!" Pepper yelled with blazing eyes.

"Stop being so dramatic." Zoe said with a bored expression.

" _ME_? YOU ARE TELLING _ME_ NOT TO BE DRAMATIC!" Peppers face was full of fury and exasperation.

"Now you two, I think we all just need to calm down." Russell said while stepping in between the two and sticking his arms out to separate them.

Just before the two were going to lunge at one another they heard noises coming from the fire hydrant. The voices didn't sound sad. They sounded _happy_. All the pets strained their ears to try and make out what the noises were and who was making them.

"That sounds like laughter." Pepper said.

"Are you sure?" Minka replied.

"I'm a comedian, I know what laughter sounds like." The skunk said with a haughty look.

"But who is making it?" Penny Ling said while walking toward the fire hydrant.

She peeked inside and saw something that truly surprised her. Mango and Sunil were sitting in the fire hydrant laughing. They giggled and laughed so much that they rolled on the floor. Mango looked so happy, not at all like she had earlier, and Sunil, Penny Ling had never seen him so much at ease. Penny Ling was shocked. Sunil, timid Sunil, had been the only one brave enough to visit the wolf.

Sunil was many things. He was a talented magician, sort of. A great friend, a mongoose, and an unbelievable coward. He was scared of creatures with six or more legs, loud noises, curtains, avocados and quiet jazz music, but not Mango. She giggled at the thought of scared Sunil working up the courage to climb inside the fire hydrant. He must have been more surprised than her to find out that he would end up laughing with the vicious wolf. Penny Ling sighed and climbed down without Sunil or Mango noticing. The panda felt happier than she had that morning. Mango had found a true friend.

Later that day around snack time all the pets had lined up to receive their treat. Mango and Sunil had emerged from the fire hydrant and were standing next to each other in line. They kept sneaking glances at one another and giggling. The other pets could only image what they had been talking about in the fire hydrant. Pepper and Zoe, who were back on speaking terms, shrugged their shoulders and giggled too. However, they giggled for an entirely different reason.

"Here you go sweeties, time for your snack." Mrs. Twombly passed out a small biscuit to each of the pets. "Oh! Mango, looks like you found a friend!" She patted Mango and Sunil on the head before walking out of the room muttering, "Who would have thought it would be Sunil."

All the pets turned to the pair of friends. They shuffled their feet and cleared their throats awkwardly. They never had apologized. Glancing around at each other they each remembered what had stopped them from apologizing earlier that day.

Penny Ling crawled down from the fire hydrant excitedly. She was giggling and jumping up and down. Everyone stopped what they were doing and walked over to see what had gotten he purple panda so happy.

"Guess what? Sunil is in the fire hydrant with Mango and they are…" Pause for dramatic effect. "LAUGHING!" She yelled out with her arms outstretched.

" _Sunil_ is the one making Mango laugh?" Vinnie asked with a confused look on his face.

"Yep. They are talking about something and it is hilarious! Mango seems a lot happier now." Penny said with a smile.

"Who would have thought Sunil would have been the one to help Mango?" Zoe said to everyone around her.

"We should probably just leave them alone. They seem to be having a good time." Penny Ling suggested slyly.

"But Penny Ling, how are we going to apologize?" Russell said while gazing at fire hydrant.

"Let's do it at snack time." Pepper said with a jump.

Everyone looked to Russell to see what he thought of the idea. He was scratching his head and tapping his foot. Finally he gave a sigh of resignation and nodded.

Now it was snack time and time to apologize for how they had acted. Penny Ling was the first one to step forward. This surprised everyone, including Mango. Penny Ling looked back toward the others and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and looked at Mango and Sunil. "I just wanted to say sorry."

"Really?" Mango said with a look of distrust on her face.

"Yes, we all did. We want to say sorry for how we treated you because of what you were. We now know that it doesn't matter if you are a wolf. It doesn't matter because you were Mango first, and we all love Mango." Penny Ling said earnestly.

Everyone murmured agreement and nodded their heads. Vinnie snuck behind Zoe to hide the blush that had formed on his face when Penny Ling mentioned the word 'love'.

Penny Ling looked at Sunil and began to speak again. "I also wanted to say how brave Sunil was to go and help Mango when the rest of us did nothing."

There was once again murmurs of agreement from the pets.

"Thank you everyone. This little endeavor made me realize that sometimes you have to push your fear aside, and be there for a friend." He looked at Mango. "Because friends are like a magic trick. Am I right?" He winked at Mango, while the other pets looked at one another with confusion.

"Right." Mango said with a wink back, remembering their little talk in the fire hydrant.

"Mango, we are sorry and hope you can forgive us." Penny Ling said.

"Sorry Mango." Everyone else echoed.

"I am the most sorry. I was the one who caused you all this trouble." Zoe said while stepping forward. She quickly told Mango her story. Then she stepped backward respectfully, head and ears down. Zoe was nervous. She couldn't tell what Mango was thinking. Mango had on a blank face, not giving away even a hint of what was going on inside.

Finally Mango yelled out. "Of course I forgive you!"

All the pets, even Sunil, sighed in relief. Vinnie was so relieved he fainted.

Mango looked around at all the pets. "I forgive you all because sometimes friends fight and we all make mistakes. But most of all because you apologized and said that you like me for me. That's all I ever really wanted." She said with a warm look and shining eyes.

A rush of pets came toward Mango and surrounded her in a big, warm group hug. Mango sighed and closed her eyes. She hadn't felt this good in a long time. Her ears twitched as she heard the ringing of bells again, but this time the bells were outside of her head. She turned and saw a customer walking into the Pet Shop. She finally understood. Those bells were the sound of Littlest Pet Shop's doors being opened.

Vinnie saw the pets rush toward Mango and decided he better join in. Because he had passed out earlier he wasn't sure what they were doing. He realized with shock what was about to happen. They were about to hug Mango.

His face blushed crimson as he felt her soft, orange fur. It smelled like Mangos and was fluffier than a cloud. His hands grasped the fur as he pressed his face into it. Vinnie just wanted to hug her forever. Quickly, he pushed his face out of her fur before anyone could realize how much he was enjoying the hug.

 _Oh man,_ Vinnie thought as he finally realized what was wrong with him. _I think I'm in love with Mango._

Sunil was the first one to hug Mango because he was already standing next to her. He grabbed her orange fur and pressed himself into it. Then he felt something. He began to feel funny. His heart felt full for the first time, his heartbeat sped up, and his brain got all fuzzy. All he felt was her orange fur, and all he saw was her yellow eyes. No, her _sun_ eyes.

Sunil felt the desire to giggle and squeal like a little girl. Instead he shut his eyes and just enveloped himself in the hug. What was this funny feeling? He just shrugged it off and continued to hug his newest friend.


	14. Chapter 14 : What The What?

Chapter 14 : What The What?

Blythe walked into the Pet Shop whistling a tune. She expected to be greeted by a bunch of animals, yapping and squeaking or making whatever noises they normally made. But instead she saw a big mass of fur and scales wrapped around the newest pet. _What the what?_ Blythe thought. She stopped, looked around to see if she was missing something and then poked Russell with her finger.

"Uh, Russell, am I missing something?" Blythe asked.

"Oh, hey Blythe. I'll fill you in later. Why don't you join in the hug?" Russell invited her in by patting the other pets.

Blythe shrugged and then wrapped her arms around all the pets, being extra careful with Russell's spikes. Once the hugging was done everyone went back to their normal routines. Minka was splatting orange, white, brown, and yellow paint on a canvas. Then she dabbed on some pink and green. Penny Ling practiced her ribbon dancing. Acting scared and afraid, but then exploding with happiness and friendship. Zoe was singing a new song about not judging people by what they are, because they could be a star. Pepper was working on new material. This time making fun of the way people see wolves instead of the wolves themselves. Vinnie and Sunil were back to playing with their favorite red ball, tossing it back and forth. Every now and then Mango would jump up and grab it from them. Russell walked over to a cushion with Blythe and explained everything that had happened that day. Blythe burst into laughter and after a moment Russell joined in.

After a while Blythe waved bye to Russell and went into the dumbwaiter to get started on her homework. Russell waved bye and then picked up his clipboard. The check list he had been working on earlier was still attached. Carefully he read down the list.

1\. Breakfast - V

2\. Play time - V

3\. Organize beds - V

4\. Clean up toys - V

5\. Pepper's show - V

6\. More play time - V

7\. Snack time - V

8\. Friends happy -

Smiling Russell took out his pencil and checked off the last item on the list. He then proceeded to double check the checklist to make sure he had not missed anything. Everything seemed to be perfect.

"Russell come on! Sunil's putting on a magic show… and Mango is his assistant!" Penny Ling called out.

"Coming Penny Ling!" Russell replied as he put away his clipboard and pencil. Yes, everything was perfect.

THE END…for now


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